Ceramic body cigarette lighter



June 14,1955 F. REILLY CERAMIC BODY CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed June '7,1952 ATTORNEYS.

CERAMIC EGDY CIGARETTE LTGHTER Alfred F. Reilly, Taunton, Mass, assignorto Evans (Jase (30., a corporation at Massachusetts Application June 7,1952, Serial No. 292,243

3 Claims. (Cl. 674.1)

This invention relates to a cigarette lighter and more particularly to atable cigarette lighter having a ceramic body.

In order to perform the functions of a cigarette lighter, the ceramicchamber of the lighter must be liquid tight, capable of holding fluid,and adapted to expel the fluid in the regular manner.

It is therefore one of the objects of this invention to provide aceramic cigarette lighter which will be of leak proof construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cigarette lighterhaving a ceramic body which may be readily assembled.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ceramic body cigarettelighter having parts attached by cement with the cemented partsstrengthened by the addition of a metal strengthening member to avoidloosening of the metal parts from the ceramic base.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction as will.

be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a sectional view of the ceramic body cigarette lighter; and

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the base of the cigarette lightershowing the manner in which the cerium tube is aflixed to the base.

In proceeding with this invention, I provide a ceramic body having twoholes in the bottom wall thereof and an open top neck portion. To thetop neck portion of the body there is afiixed a metal lighter unithaving a pyrophoric igniter and wick and a cerium tube which extendsthrough the ceramic body fitting into one of the holes in the bottomwall of the ceramic base. The ceramic body is packed with cotton andmaize in the usual manner to absorb the lighter fluid, which is insertedthrough a plug that covers the second hole in the bottom wall of theceramic body. The base is additionally provided with a metallic platehaving two holes to align with the holes in the bottom wall, one holehaving an inturned threaded collar to hold the fuel plug and the otherhole used for inserting the cerium pipe which is fastened by means of anut to the metallic plate.

With reference to the drawings designates the ceramic body having a neckportion 11 and base portion having a bottom wall 12. A metallic cup 13shaped to conform to the contour of the neck of the ceramic body has awell 15 upon which is mounted lighter findings 14 consisting of thepyrophoric striker, wick bushing, wick snufier, and thumb lever. Acerium tube 16 is soldered to the well 15 and extends through theinterior of the ceramic body and through a hole 17 in the bottom wall 12thereof. The base of the ceramic body is provided with a metallic plate18 having a hole 19 adapted to align With hole 17 and a second hole 20which has a flange extending into the second hole 36 of the bottom wall.This flange is threaded to hold the fuel plug 21. The bottom plate 18 iscemented to the base 12, the cement additionally serving to absorb anyuneven formations between the plate 18 and the ceramic base 12. Thecerium tube is threaded as at 23 to receive a nut 24 which urges andholds the plate against the base 12 and is further internally threadedas at 25 to receive the closure plug 26.

In constructing this cigarette lighter, I first form the ceramic body 18and suitably decorate it. The neck portion 11 is primed with cement, andthe inside area of the metallic cup 13 is also primed with cement andallowed to dry. The cerium tube 16 is soldered to the well 15 andanother coating of cement is placed on both primed surfaces. The cup isthen placed over the neck portion 11 and the cerium tube 16 insertedthrough a hole 17 in the base 12 of the ceramic body. One surface ofmetallic plate 18 and the outside portion of the ceramic base 12 arealso primed with cement and allowed to dry. Cement is again applied tothese parts and they are aflixed to gether. The nut 24 along with a thinneoprene washer is then placed on the end portion of the cerium tube 16and screwed on firmly. By doing this, the metallic cup 13 at the neckportion of the ceramic body and the metallic plate 18 are forced andheld closer to the ceramic body and provide an integral unit heldtogether by cement and mechanical means. When this unit has been driedand tested for leaks, the lighter mechanism 14 is assembled into themetallic well 15, and the wick, maizo, and cotton are inserted into thebody of the ceramic base. The fuel plug 21 with its washer 28 is placedinto position and the cerium spring 29 and closure plug 26 are placedinto position. The resulting structure retains the advantages ofcementing metal to ceramic with the added feature of a strengtheningmember consisting of the cerium tube being used to hold the cementedparts together.

Various modifications can obviously be made without departing from thespirit of my invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cigarette lighter comprising a non-metallic fuel reservoir bodyhaving an open neck portion with a surrounding wall at the top and abottom Wall with a pair of holes therein at its base, lighter mechanismmounted upon an inverted cup, said cup embracing the surrounding wall ofthe neck portion and closing the top of said body, the cup and wallpresenting large sealing surfaces, said mechanism carrying a cerium tubeof a length sulfi- '5 cient to pass through one of said holes, ametallic plate afiixed to the bottom of said body, said plate having onehole therein registering with the hole in said wall receiving saidcerium tube therein, said plate having a second hole registering withthe other hole in said wall and having a flange extending into the otherhole to receive a fuel plug therein, and fastening means engaging saidtube and plate external of said plate to secure the mechanism to saidbody.

2. A cigarette lighter as in claim 1 wherein one end of said cerium tubeis soldered to the lighter mechanism and the other end is threaded andthe fastening means comprises a nut co-operating With said threads.

3. A cigarette lighter as in claim 1 wherein the threaded end of saidcerium tube is additionally internally threaded to receive a closureplug.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,055,993 Aronson Sept. 29, 1936 2,520,328 Nissen Aug. 29, 19502,617,286' Prusack Nov. 11, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 48,873 France June 14,1938 560,296 Great Britain Mar. 29, 1944 928,077 France May 26, 1947

1. A CIGARETTE LIGHTER COMPRISING A NON-METALLIC FUEL RESERVOIR BODYHAVING AN OPEN NECK PORTION WITH A SURROUNDING WALL AT THE TOP AND ABOTTOM WALL WITH A PAIR OF HOLES THEREIN AT ITS BASE, LIGHTER MECHANISMMOUNTED UPON AN INVERTED CUP, SAID CUP EMBRACING THE SURROUNDING WALL OFTHE NECK PORTION AND CLOSING THE TOP OF SAID BODY, THE CUP AND WALLPRESENTING LARGE SEALING SURFACES, SAID MECHANISM CARRYING A CERIUM TUBEOF A LENGTH SUFFICIENT TO PASS THROUGH ONE OF SAID HOLES, A METALLICPLATE AFFIXED TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID BODY, SAID PLATE HAVING ONE HOLETHEREIN REGISTERING WITH THE HOLE IN SAID WALL RECEIVING SAID CERIUMTUBE THEREIN, SAID PLATE HAVING A SECOND HOLE REGISTERING WITH THE OTHERHOLE IN SAID WALL AND HAVING A FLANGE EXCTENDING INTO THE OTHER HOLE TORECEIVE A FUEL PLUG THEREIN, AND FASTENING MEANS ENGAGING SAID TUBE ANDPLATE EXTERNAL OF SAID PLATE TO SECURE THE MECHANISM TO SAID BODY.